Taxi driver attacked by unruly passenger

A passenger attacked a Five Star Taxi driver after vomiting in the cab about 3 a.m. Sunday, according to an Athens-Clarke police report.

The driver had picked up two men and woman from downtown and taken them to an apartment on Mell Street, police street. On the way there, one of the men vomited in the back seat of the cab.

The driver told the man he had to pay the $105 it would cost to clean the vomit. The man offered to pay $88 instead, but the driver refused and said that the $105 cleaning fee was company policy, according to the report.

The other two passengers offered the other passenger some money, but he refused and asked the driver to take him to the Yoforia frozen yogurt shop in Five Points so he could use the ATM behind the business, police said.

The other passengers got out, and the driver took him to Yoforia, but once they arrived, the man ran from the cab, across Lumpkin Street and behind the fire station, police said.

The driver chased the man, but as he got closer, the man turned around and attacked him, leaving several injuries on his face arms, according to the report.

Once police arrived, the cab driver refused medical attention and took officers to the Mell Street address the group originally wanted to go to. There was a party going on, and even though there was a keg on ice and lots of unfinished alcoholic beverages on the front porch, no one came to the door when police knocked, according to the report.